Where to get rifle building knowledge?

[Mram10us]

How true. Aloris bxa tool holders at about $80 a piece. I have about 15 and woud like about 10 more. Then the holders (Iscar) that hold the actual insert that clamp in the tool holder. I have about 20 @ upwards of $100 apiece. And yes I bought large amount of the Arthur Warner HSS holders and inserts. And not to forget measuring tools. Starrett dial indicators, several types of micrometers, test indicators and holders. Also how about a Set-True 6 jaw chuck can spend $2000 on one. Floating reamer holder. Reamers and gauges and indicating rods. Then a through the headstock coolant setup. Two Starrett machinist levels and even digital readout added later. And the list goes on and on.

Bostar and shars make good bxa posts and holders. I have had one for 3 years and lots of holders. Work great for the budget minded.

 

[ndking1126]

How true. Aloris bxa tool holders at about $80 a piece. I have about 15 and woud like about 10 more. Then the holders (Iscar) that hold the actual insert that clamp in the tool holder. I have about 20 @ upwards of $100 apiece. And yes I bought large amount of the Arthur Warner HSS holders and inserts. And not to forget measuring tools. Starrett dial indicators, several types of micrometers, test indicators and holders. Also how about a Set-True 6 jaw chuck can spend $2000 on one. Floating reamer holder. Reamers and gauges and indicating rods. Then a through the headstock coolant setup. Two Starrett machinist levels and even digital readout added later. And the list goes on and on.

Thank you J and brguide. I was assuming there was more cost involved, but it sounds worse than I expected. It's about like shooting.. in the long run, the gun is the cheap part. Ammo costs quickly add up.

 

[jrock]

One thing you can't skimp on is your measuring devices. How do you know if its really 0.0001" concentric if you can't read it? I got all my measuring tools used for half the cost of new. I would rather dump more money into guns and ammo that tools. I still use ground HSS because a $5 blank will last forever. Milling tools, that's another story.

If you watch all the youtube vids on chambering, you can see what types of tools you need and can then start pricing them out. Depending on what chambering methods you use, you don't need much to get started. If you want a flush through coolant system, I DIY'ed mine for less than $200.

 

[Janno05]

I am in a similar boat and at least 20 years out from having the time to play with a mill. You can always do a savage, but I'd look into a bighorn origin or similar. You can pick up a pre-chambered barrel from several shops, then pick your stock, trigger, etc and learn as much as you can there. When time/money permits you can spin on your own barrel on an action worthy of your effort and start burning tubes.

 

[Don A Parsons]

Buy a few tools so you can do what your doing,,, and farm out what you can't...

It sounds like you enjoy doing the foot work,,, don't change that up since your onto something...

Why not be that guy who can find whats needed,,, get to know your suppliers 1 on 1...

Who said you can't be the middle man,,, there are 1000's of directions to choose from in the firearm industry,,, you'll find the niche you want to be on doing what your doing...

Read,,, research,,, read some more,,, join a few shooting ranges in your area,,, talk to pepole,,, listen to what their saying,, and build off of that...

Is there a industry of supplies and stock,,, you bet there is,,, your efforts and hard work will pay off not in funds but in quality of giving it a run for its money...

Start at something you love,,, and maybe down the road it will support its self later on...

Start small and think big,,, thats what dreams are made of... make sure you have a note pad and pen on your night stand just incase you come up with the next game plan to better your odds...

Take on a rifle project you want for your self,,, maybe build it to sell,,, who knows,,, maybe you can be the next Winchester,,, Browning,,, Ruger,,, Wildcat something... think of a world of endless...

Innovative ideas lead to the Future...

Cheers from the North

 

[D-mon]

Hi.
I started 20 years ago by reading books and accurizing hunting rifles by bedding them, recrowning them , cleaning them and properly mounting scopes with no tensions in the mounts. I then had a chance of doing a lathe and milling evening course at a local polytech college for 4 consecutive years. Once the mandatory projects were done they let me bring in second hand scrap barrels on which I could practice recrowning and threading . Fitting muzzle brakes and learning to time them properly is a very good exercise.
I got my first chambering reamer 15years ago, a 308 Winchester and started fitting recycled barrels to my rifles. Once I got satisfied with the results I started to play with new barrels and more fancy calibres.

My advice is to acquire easy second hand rifles to work on like savages and start doing proper bedding in wood stocks. ( Boyd stocks are very affordable). That will be a good start.

 

[birdiemc]

I would suggest you build your own savage rifle, nothing wrong with being an assembler level gun lover, a barrel vise and barrel nut wrench are not much. You can learn to headspace and install your own barrels, even have a couple and switch barrel's. Trigger assembly is nothing to install and adjust. Stocks are available and you can get a glass bedding kit and bed and float your own barrels. A go no go guage set will keep you safe headspacing. No gunsmithing required just put your own custom parts together and assemble, you like finding the parts and putting it together is better than someone else. The savage bolts come apart and are easy to change bolt handles on, the floating lugs don't need to be lapped usually and a local smith can true the action for you. Northern Shooters Supply has a lot of the pieces mentioned and take-off barrels, machined recoil lug's, machined barrel nut's, and trigger's as well. All I use from a stock savage is the action. If you don't like savages maybe the AR15 idea is better. Dave

If I understand the OP correctly this is the best advice so far.

 

[QQQQQ]

Sorry I haven't responded to all of your comments and recommendations. I have been tied up with kids wrestling tournaments.

I appreciate all your support and help. I have taken notes from your comments and will be studying how to be an "assembler". A mill and lathe may or may not ever happen but I am happy to start with this for now.

Thanks